Data acquisition method of non-real time transmitting seismic data acquisition system applied in mountainous area

ABSTRACT

This invention discloses a data acquisition method of non-real time transmitting seismic data acquisition system applied in mountainous area, the format of original record file names is 8 digits file name representing absolute time together with 3 digits extension names representing equipment&#39;s serial number. The detonating units generate SPS format spreadsheets according to the above file name generation method. SPS format spreadsheets of several detonating units are combined on the basis of the SPS fotormat spreadsheets generated by every detonating unit and then put in a data retrieve unit. The effective file names, which are recorded in the SPS format spreadsheets while detonating units are operating, are based on the former 8 digits. The acquisition unit and the data retrieve unit are connected by network lines, and a data retrieving program will run by the data retrieve unit. This method is exclusive and feasible to manage and search the seismic data. The method solves the technically difficult problems of the data management for original record files and difficulties of retrieving data as result of non-real time transmitting characteristics of the system.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to the fields of petroleum seismic exploration,geology, acquisition of seismic data for coalmine resources, anddetecting earthquake.

BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY

Following the development of the technology of geophysical exploration,seismic prospecting is towards to higher mountainous regions in which itis more difficult to work and all remote transmission seismic apparatusof real time transmitting by cables/wireless has more and more difficultto meet requirements of practical prospecting.

For example, remote transmission seismic apparatus by cables need tocarry big bundles of cables to cliffy mountains. This results in a greatamount use of labour power and transporting equipment, being verydangerous, frequently happening of casualties, and damages of theequipment. In addition, it is frequently impossible to deploy cables todesigned position as result of the limitation of the length of cables sothat channels are emptied or lost.

Although a remote transmission seismic apparatus by wirelesstransmitting is convenient, the system usually loses channels and/orstations in a mountainous region as result of the blind regions of radiotransmission. The workload is increased because very much electricenergy consumed by wireless transmission needs heavy equipment of powersupply. The efficiency of the deployment of wireless remote transmissionseismic apparatus is lower and lower along with the increase of channelsdeployed because long time is needed for the real time data returntransmission. The above two kinds of seismic apparatus have been verymuch difficult to meet the needs of the fieldwork when working inmountainous areas with very bad topography.

The applicants have invented remote transmission seismic apparatus usingGPS satellite timing, which has “no central units (main seismometer), nocables, and no radio stations, and is portable, cheap, andintelligentized” (The application numbers of Chinese patents areCN01134726.0 and CN02129603.0) for compensating the shortage of realtime transmitting seismic apparatus in the art in the fields of systemconveying, arranging cables for prospecting, data transmission, andcommunication. The remote transmission seismic apparatus using GPSsatellite timing are especially suitable to seismic prospecting work incomplicated areas because the apparatus has two kinds of working, one istiming data acquisition, and the other is continuous data acquisition,so that the working efficiency of seismic data acquisition in the fieldsis increased and the cost is decreased.

The non-real time transmission seismic data acquisition apparatus useshigh accuracy GPS clock signals to synchronise the system clocks ofevery acquisition unit and remote detonating unit, and works in the waysof timed and synchronised detonating and recording. In operation,detonating and recording units, all operate according to flow chartdesigned for the system without any artificially intervention. If thesystem operates 12 hours every day and acquires and records data forevery minute, the numbers of original record files in every dataacquisition unit every day are equal to 12×60, i.e., 720 original recordfiles every day. If the system operates 12 hours every day and acquiresand records data for every ten-second, the numbers of original recordfiles in every data acquisition unit every day are equal to 12×60×6,i.e., 4320 original record files every day. The numbers of originalfiles in data acquisition units are more and more as the number of dataacquisition units and the data acquisition time increase (increase bydegrees of geometric series). Therefore, whether or not the presentsystem is capable of being applied in practice, the key points are howto manage and safely retrieve these original record files.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The data acquisition method of non-real time transmitting seismic dataacquisition system applied in mountainous area of this invention maysolve the following technical problems in non-real time transmittingseismic data acquisition system: the safely and effectively managing oftens of thousands original record files, intelligentized retrievingrecord files in the acquisition unit, and permuting the data afterretrieving.

The data acquisition method of non-real time transmitting seismic dataacquisition system applied in mountainous area of this invention is asfollows:

-   -   (1) using the eight digits file names representing absolute time        together with three digits extension names representing        equipment serial names as the format of original record file        names, wherein the eight digits file names and three digits        extension names consisting of Arabic numerals 0-9 and English        letters;    -   (2) all original record files names in data acquisition unit        being 8+3 digits file names and consisting of Arabic numerals        0-9 and English letters; the former eight digits representing        years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds; and the latter        three extension names digits representing the equipment's serial        number of data acquisition units;    -   (3) the detonating units generating SPS format (Shell's        Processing Support Format) spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic        exploration assistant data according to file names generating        method of the step (1), and at the same time, it is appointed        that by means of distinguishing intermittence signals generated        by the high voltage circuits in the detonating units, the        operating systems in the detonating units write the effective        explosion's absolute operating time into SPS format spreadsheets        of 3-D land seismic exploration assistant data according to the        detonating unit's file names generating method when there are        intermittence signals, and not record the said absolute        operating time in SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic        exploration assistant data when there are no intermittence        signals;    -   (4) combining the multiple detonating unit's SPS format        spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration assistant data        according to SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic        exploration assistant data, which are generated by the multiple        detonating units to prepare for retrieving the data; while        retrieving, inputting the combined multiple detonating unit's        SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration        assistant data into the data retrieve units, which consist of        microprocessors with system bus;

The above file names effectively recorded in SPS format spreadsheets of3-D land seismic exploration assistant data being on the basis of theformer eight digits; connecting the data acquisition units and the dataretrieve units by net lines in the way of network; operating the dataretrieving programmes in the data retrieve units; connecting the dataretrieve units and the data acquisition units with a special line;running the data retrieving programmes to complete the followingoperations:

-   -   a) searching the original files effectively recorded in the        field acquisition units and copying them into the data retrieve        units;    -   b) setting the original files as read-only attribute on the        disks of computers in the field acquisition units to prevent to        lose the data, and in that case, the data can be retrieved        again;    -   c) Deleting the great amount of unnecessary data to release the        space of the disks so as to prepare for the next acquisition.    -   (5) arranging the data sequences indoors after the data        retrieving operations; rearranging the original files data        effectively recorded in the multiple data retrieve units into        the format recorded in the unit of shots according to “the        regulations of the same file names” on the basis of layout to        provide to the system of processing data.

As hereinabove the data acquisition method of non-real time transmittingseismic data acquisition system applied in mountainous area, when thegeneration of original file names recorded in the data acquisition unitsare recorded once for every minute, the former eight digits have thefollowing meaning: the first digit of the former eight digits representsyears and consists of Arabic numerals and English letters, and iscircularly used again and again for 36 years; the second digitrepresents months and consists of Arabic numerals, and is denotedaccording to the practical calendar; the fifth and the sixth digitsrepresent hours and consist of Arabic numerals, and is denoted accordingto the 24 hours system; and the seventh and the eighth digits representminutes and consist of Arabic numerals, and is denoted according to the60 minutes system.

As hereinabove the data acquisition method of non-real time transmittingseismic data acquisition system applied in mountainous area, when thegeneration of original file names recorded in the data acquisition unitsare recorded once for every ten-second, the former eight digits have thefollowing meaning: the first digit of the former eight digits representsyears and consists of English letters, and is circularly used again andagain for 26 years; the second digit represents months and consists ofArabic numerals and English letters; the third digit represents days andconsists of Arabic numerals and English letters, and is denotedaccording to the practical calendar; the fourth and the fifth digitsrepresent hours and consist of Arabic numerals, and is denoted accordingto the 24 hours system; the sixth and the seventh digits representminutes and consist of Arabic numerals, and is denoted according to the60 minutes system; and the eighth digit represents seconds; and everyten-second is used as a measure unit.

As hereinabove the data acquisition method of non-real time transmittingseismic data acquisition system applied in mountainous area, wherein theextension names of the detonating units are ._XX, which denote theserial number of making the detonating units, and the latter two digitsafter the underline consist of Arabic numerals 0-9 and English letters,which are permuted and combined.

This invention has the following advantages and positive effects incomparison with the traditional seismic data acquisition methods:

It is realised to manage the original file data recorded in the dataacquisition units effectively and safely by means of the original recordfile data acquisition method of non-real time transmitting seismic dataacquisition apparatus. The method is exclusive and feasible to manageand search and has solved the technically difficult problems of the datamanagement for original record files and difficulties of retrieving dataas result of non-real time transmitting characteristics of the system.The method may find the original file data (effective data) recorded inthe every field data acquisition unit quickly and accurately and deletethe unnecessary data acquired. The method realises the safe andintelligentized management of the original record file data of non-realtime transmitting seismic data acquisition apparatus to provide safe andreliable managing mechanism for permuting and arranging the data at thelatter time.

The present invention may be intelligentized without any artificiallyintervention if otherwise equipping with the special software andequipment for automatically permuting the data indoors so that thisinvention can also completes the whole process of seismic dataacquisition in the field completed by the conventional real time dataacquisition system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the circuits of the data retrieve unitaccording the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the operation of the data acquisition unitsaccording the invention;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the operation of the detonating unitsaccording the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the operation of the data retrieve unitsaccording the invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the operation of permuting the data indoorsaccording the invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the structure of the detonating unit systemaccording the invention;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the structure of the data acquisition unitsystem according the invention;

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The modes and steps of embodying the invention in detail are as follows:

1. The format of the file names of original record file are eight digitsfile names together with three digits extension names which consist ofArabic numerals 0-9 and English letters, i.e., XXXXXXXX.XXX.

The former eight file names digits represent absolute time.

The latter three extension names digits represent the equipment's serialnumber.

2. The regulations of generating file names of the data acquisitionunits.

The meanings of eight digits together with three digits file names

(A) The meaning of XXXXXXXX while recording once for every minute:

The first digit represents years and consists of Arabic numerals andEnglish letters, and is circularly used again and again for 36 years. Itis appointed that the number 0 represents the 2000 year, the number 1represents the 2001 year, the number 9 represents the 2009 year, theletter a represents the 2010 year, the letter b represents the 2011year, . . . , and so on, the rest may be deduced by analogy.

The second digit represents months and consists of Arabic numerals andEnglish letters. It is appointed that the number 1 represents January,the number 9 represents September, the letter a represents October, theletter b represents November, and the letter c represents December.

The third and fourth digits represent date and consist of Arabicnumerals, and are denoted according to the practical calendar. It isappointed that the numbers 01 represent the first day in the calendar,and the numbers 31 represent the thirty-first day in the calendar.

The fifth and sixth digits represent hours and consist of Arabicnumerals, and are denoted according to the 24 hours system. It isappointed that the numbers 00 represent 0 o'clock at the midnight, thenumbers 01 represent 1 o'clock a.m., . . . , and the numbers 23represent 23 o'clock p.m.

The seventh and eighth digits represent minutes and consist of Arabicnumerals, and are denoted according to the 60 minutes system. It isappointed that the numbers 00 represent zero minutes, the numbers 01represent one minute, . . . , and the numbers 59 represent fifty-nineminutes.

Hence, for example, 3a231834.XXX represents the seismic records received(or the existent shooting) at eighteen o'clock thirty-four p.m. sharp onOctober 23, 2003.

(B) The meaning of XXXXXXXX while recording once for every ten-second:

The first digit represents years and consists of English letters, and iscircularly used again and again for 26 years. It is appointed that theletter a represents the 2001 year, the letter b represents the 2002year, the letter c represents the 2003 year£

. . . £

and so on, and the rest may be deduced by analogy.

The second digit represents months and consists of Arabic numerals andEnglish letters. It is appointed that the number 1 represents January,the number 9 represents September, the letter a represents October, theletter b represents November, and the letter c represents December.

The third digit represents days and consists of Arabic numerals, and isdenoted according to the practical calendar. It is appointed that thenumber 1 represents the first day in the calendar, . . . , the number 9represents the ninth day in the calendar, the letter a represents thetenth day in the calendar, the letter b represents the eleventh day inthe calendar, . . . , and the letter v represents the thirty-first dayin the calendar.

The fourth and fifth digits represent hours and consist of Arabicnumerals, and are denoted according to the 24 hours system. It isappointed that the numbers 00 represent 0 o'clock at the midnight, thenumbers 01 represent 1 o'clock a.m., and the numbers 23 represent 23o'clock p.m.

The sixth and seventh digits represent minutes and consist of Arabicnumerals, and are denoted according to the 60 minutes system. It isappointed that the numbers 00 represent zero minutes, the numbers 01represent one minute, . . . , and the numbers 59 represent fifty-nineminutes.

The eighth digit represents seconds. Every ten-second is used as ameasure unit. It is denoted that the number 0 represents 00 second, thenumber 1 represents 10 seconds, . . . , and the number 5 represents 50seconds.

Hence, for example, cau18343.XXX represents the seismic records received(or the existent shooting) at eighteen o'clock thirty-four and thirtyseconds p.m. sharp on Oct. 30, 2003.

The above two methods of managing files are distinguished by the firstdigit representing the years: 2009 ago, the former consists of Arabicnumerals, and the latter starts with the English letters; after 2009,the difference between them is nine years so that the confusion witheach other can not happens. Therefore, the file name is still“exclusive”.

3. The meaning of three extension names

(1) The three extension names of the data acquisitions units. XXXrepresent the equipment's serial number of the data acquisition unitsand consist of the permutation and combination of the Arabic numerals0-9 and English letters. It is denoted that the first equipment isnumbered as 001, 999 represents the product's serial number of the999^(th) equipment, 00a represents the product's serial number of thefirst thousand^(th) equipment, . . . . , and so on, the rest may bededuced by analogy.

This nomenclature may generate 36³=46656 names of the equipment. Thesenames are enough to manage 139968 seismic traces.

(2) The extension names of the detonating units are ._XX, denote thedetonating unit's serial number, and consist of one underline and twocharacters. The two digits XX are consist of the permutation andcombination of the Arabic numerals 0-9 and English letters.

4. The generation method of the operation files of the detonating units

The detonating unit consists of GPS receiving sections, industrialmicrocomputers, high voltage circuits, and A/D conversion circuits. Theoutput of the high voltage circuits is connected to detonating ends ofelectric detonators. The operating systems in the detonating unitsoperate by means of distinguishing intermittence signals generated bythe high voltage circuits in the detonating units. When there areintermittence signals, the detonating units write the effectiveexplosion's absolute operation time into SPS format spreadsheets of 3-Dland seismic exploration assistant data according to the methods ofgenerating file names of the detonating units; and when there are nointermittence signals, the detonating units do not record the saidabsolute operation time into SPS format spreadsheets of three dimensionsseismic exploration assistant data. The SPS format spreadsheets of 3-Dland seismic exploration assistant data are generated according to thegeneration methods of file names of the detonating units when thedetonating units are operating, and at the same time, it is appointedthat the effective explosion's absolute operation time is written intothe SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration assistantdata according to the generation methods of file names of the detonatingunits only when the detonating units detonate the explosivesuccessfully, and when the operations are off and the detonation of theexplosive is not successful, the absolute operation time is not recordedinto the SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic explorationassistant data.

5. The intelligentized retrieving of the data The intelligentizedretrieving of retrieving data is an application on the basis of theoriginal record file data acquisition methods of non-real timetransmitting seismic data acquisition apparatus. First of all, the SPSformat spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration assistant data ofmultiple detonating units are combined according to the SPS formatspreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration assistant data generated bythe detonating units so as to prepare for retrieving the data.

When retrieving, the combined SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D landseismic exploration assistant data of the detonating units are put intothe special data retrieve units. The data acquisition units and thespecial data retrieve units are connected by net lines in the form ofnetwork according to the file names (the former eight digits)effectively recorded in the SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismicexploration assistant data while the detonating units are operating. Theprogrammes of intelligentized retrieving data are run in the specialdata retrieve units. The field operators only connect the plugs of thespecial data retrieve units to the special plugs of the data acquisitionunits and initiate intelligentized retrieving programmes system so thatthe following operations are completed automatically:

-   -   1. According to the principles of “the same file names”, the        original effective file data recorded in the data acquisition        units are searched and copied to the data retrieve units.    -   2. The original effective file records are set as read-only        attribute on the disks of the computers of the data acquisition        units to prevent to lose the data, if the data would be lost,        the data can also be retrieved.    -   3. The great amounts of unnecessary data acquired are deleted to        release the space of the disks so as to prepare for the next        recording.

The above data acquisition units consist of GPS receiving sections,industrial microcomputers, and A/D conversion circuits.

1. A data acquisition method of non-real time transmitting seismic dataacquisition system applied in mountainous region has the followingsteps: (1) using the eight digits file names representing absolute timetogether with three digits extension names representing equipment serialnames as the format of original record file names, wherein the eightdigits file names and three digits extension names consisting of Arabicnumerals 0-9 and English letters; (2) all original record files names indata acquisition unit being 8+3 digits file names and consisting ofArabic numerals 0-9 and English letters; the former eight digitsrepresenting years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds; and thelatter three extension names digits representing the equipment's serialnumber of data acquisition units; (3) the detonating units generatingSPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration assistant dataaccording to file names generating method of the step (1), and at thesame time, it is appointed that by means of distinguishing intermittencesignals generated by the high voltage circuits in the detonating units,the operating systems in the detonating units write the effectiveexplosion's absolute operating time into SPS format spreadsheets of 3-Dland seismic exploration assistant data according to the detonatingunit's file names generating method when there are intermittencesignals, and not record the said absolute operating time in SPS formatspreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration assistant data when thereare no intermittence signals; (4) combining the multiple detonatingunit's SPS format spreadsheets 3-D land seismic exploration assistantdata according to SPS format spreadsheets of 3-D land seismicexploration assistant data, which are generated by the multipledetonating units to prepare for retrieving the data; while retrieving,inputting the combined multiple detonating unit's SPS formatspreadsheets of 3-D land seismic exploration assistant data into thedata retrieve units, which consist of microprocessors having system bus;the above file names effectively recorded in SPS format spreadsheets of3-D land seismic exploration assistant data being on the basis of theformer eight digits; connecting the data acquisition units and the dataretrieve units by net lines in the way of network; operating the dataretrieving programmes in the data retrieve units; connecting the specialplugs of the data retrieve units to the special plugs of the dataacquisition units; initiating the data retrieving programmes to commandthe systems to complete the following operations: a) searching theoriginal file data effectively recorded in the data acquisition unitsand copying the original file data effectively recorded in the dataacquisition units into the data retrieve units; b) setting the originalfiles data effectively recorded as read-only attribute on the disks ofcomputers in the data acquisition units to prevent to lose the data, andin that case, the data can be retrieved; c) Deleting the great amount ofunnecessary data acquired to release the space of the disks so as toprepare for the next recording. (5) arranging the data sequences indoorsafter the data retrieving operations; rearranging the original file dataeffectively recorded in the multiple data retrieve units into the formatrecorded in the unit of shots according to “the regulations of the samefile names” on the basis of layout to provide to the system ofprocessing data.
 2. A data acquisition method of non-real timetransmitting seismic data acquisition system applied in mountainousregion as claim 1, wherein when the generation of original file namesrecorded in the data acquisition units are recorded once for everyminute, the former eight digits have the following meaning: the firstdigit of the former eight digits represents years and consists of Arabicnumerals and English letters, and is circularly used again and again for36 years; the second digit represents months and consists of Arabicnumerals, and is denoted according to the practical calendar; the fifthand the sixth digits represent hours and consist of Arabic numerals, andis denoted according to the 24 hours system; and the seventh and theeighth digits represent minutes and consist of Arabic numerals, and isdenoted according to the 60 minutes system.
 3. A data acquisition methodof non-real time transmitting seismic data acquisition system applied inmountainous area as claim 1, wherein when the generation of originalfile names recorded in the data acquisition units are recorded once forevery ten-seconds, the former eight digits have the following meaning:the first digit of the former eight digits represents years and consistsof English letters, and is circularly used again and again for 26 years;the second digit represents months and consists of Arabic numerals andEnglish letters; the third digit represents days and consists of Arabicnumerals and English letters, and is denoted according to the practicalcalendar; the fourth and the fifth digits represent hours and consist ofArabic numerals, and is denoted according to the 24 hours system; thesixth and the seventh digits represent minutes and consist of Arabicnumerals, and is denoted according to the 60 minutes system; and theeighth digit represents seconds; and every ten-seconds is used as ameasure unit.
 4. A data acquisition method of non-real time transmittingseismic data acquisition system applied in mountainous area as claim 1,wherein the extension names of the detonating units are ._XX, whichdenote the serial number of making the detonating units, and the lattertwo digits after the underline consist of Arabic numerals 0-9 andEnglish letters, which are permuted and combined.